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Baghdad's black market for prosthetic limbs

Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 2:18 PM
Filed Under:

By Carla Marcus, NBC News Producer

From my vantage point here in Baghdad, I'm aware that certain businesses are prospering. Glass for example, is in high demand to replace windows blown out by explosions. And despite limited electricity and rising prices due to inflation, sidewalks in shopping districts are overflowing with appliances.

One business I recently came across which sadly can't keep up with orders is a workshop which makes, as well as recycles, artificial limbs. It should hardly come as a surprise in a country ravaged by violence, but it still did.

The location for this shop is a secret. It was only found after one of our Iraqi producers canvassed various medical supply dealers and they deemed him trustworthy enough to disclose the shop’s whereabouts.

Not willing to pay a bribe
Surprisingly, the owner is not under threat by terrorists. Rather, it's his refusal to pay an exorbitant bribe to the Ministry of Health to get official permission to fit those maimed by violence with prosthetic limbs that’s keeping him in hiding.

Manufacturing an artificial leg and foot, or arm and hand, is quite expensive. Materials and parts must be imported, and it takes time to customize a limb for the many victims of explosions and bullets. It also requires several training sessions for someone to learn how to use a prosthetic device. Prices aren't cheap. An artificial leg can cost up to $5,000.

The man running this small workshop is not wealthy, nor does he strike me as greedy. He just prefers to provide a service for disabled adults and children without capitulating to the demands of corrupt officials. He also claims that official government approval will not result in subsidies or more of the materials he needs to allow him to lower prices.

Under Saddam Hussein, corruption was widespread due to government workers receiving low wages. Today, salaries are higher, but extortion appears to be as out of control as violence, and it's the most vulnerable who continue to suffer.

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Comments

JUST ONE MORE SIGN THAT THINGS ARE WAY OUT OF CONTROL OVER THERE! TIME TO GET THE HELL OUT!

c.j., CT (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 2:50 PM)

Dude, $5000 for a artificial is cheap. Try getting a C-Leg or a Rheo knee and then you will know what it costs...like $56,000. (before insurance discounts.)

Jim L. Florida (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 2:51 PM)

Capitalism at work in Baghdad! See the war is going great. All of these small businesses opening too. It's a shame the liberal media doesn't talk about the good things in Iraq and just focuses on the killing. (note sarcasm).

Jeff, Philadelphia (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 2:51 PM)

This must all be the LIEberal media distorting the great things happening in Iraq! The liberals running the worlds' media are mad that their warnings of social upheaval and the lack of a post-invasion plan were wrong...so they are manufacturing bad news that hurts the troops. You support the troops, right? *eyesroll* I'm numb to Iraq these days...it seems that every bad thing predicted by the anti-war crowd in 2002 has come true in spades. Let's just get our guys out, let the situation in Iraq sort itself out, and then help in any way we can. Seriously...if Saddam was toppeled by an internal revolt this same violence would be happening. I've opposed the invasion on principle from day one, but it's obvious that we're just pissing away dollars and lives by remaining in Iraq. Perhaps after the walls dividing the sectarian neighborhoods are done being built, we can set up a 'prosthetic limbs for oil' program or something.

Sean, Torrington CT (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 3:29 PM)

(1) it's SAD they need so many artificial limbs; (2) it's SAD their emerging govt is corrupt; (3) it's SAD that it's not much better than when saddam was in power; (4) it's SAD that the most vulnerable continue to suffer... (a) it's SAD that we are there for the oil; (b) it's SAD that Saddam was a U.S. puppet and a creation of the CIA; (c) it's SAD how many widows and children have been traumatized... it's SAD how human beings treat one another. Immoral statecraft on the part of the U.S. is very, very SAD.

TESTRUN#1 (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 3:34 PM)

Our second biggest mistake (besides invading Iraq) was executing Saddam Hussein...After we found him, and didn't find any WMD, we should have simply sentenced Saddam to being President of Iraq...now THAT would have been a fitting punishment.

Frank Thorogood (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 3:39 PM)

if saddam was still in power, we could have set up an "oil for protection" program with kuwait and the UAE. oh wait, that's what we did. now what are we gonna do?

BlogMaster (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 3:57 PM)

This poor man is just trying to help people and the government won't provide him with aid for the supplies needed. One person attempting to do something good in the middle of so much violence. Why is it the innocent people always have to pay a price for people causing such horrible things? It just isn't fair.

Lisa McNeil,Alpharetta,Georgia (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 4:06 PM)

After all of this is over (and I pray daily to God that it's over soon), I think the U.S. Military doctors should have to do several 18-month tours of duty in Iraq helping all the innocent victims of this mess, especially the women and children. There are literally MILLIONS of traumatized people over there right now. This war was our stupid idea and we owe it to the innocents to ease their suffering.

What's the Truth? (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 4:09 PM)

How much fuel per day does the militay consume? How many bombs have we dropped? At least GW is consistent, consistently denying the truth, and responsibility for the mess, and trying to warm the planet as quickly as possible. Bombs are hot!

tim hood river or (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 4:21 PM)

As much as all of us would like to see success by the U.S. in Iraq, the corruption there is on a level the likes of which we can not understand, or accept. That a government official would demand a bribe from a small businessman to outfit his countrymen with prosthetic devices is totally unconscionable, and is thievery to the lowest degree. Why hasn't the gov't official been charged? Or, is the judiciary corrupt, too (tongue-in-cheek...)? What are we doing to change this corruption? Anything? Such a waste........

Darrel In Edinboro, PA (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 4:31 PM)

I do not know why Iraq is not taking the help of Jaipurfoot.org which is involved in the manufacture of artificial limbs. The cost is estimated to be less than 100 dollars, not thousands of dollars.

J K Mohana Rao, Frederick, MD (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 4:37 PM)

It's SAD that we elected a currupt, lying, deceitful, contemptable, hateful, war mongering Administration that caused all this suffering.

Kurtislee, Sacramento, CA (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 4:40 PM)

Carla's article is pretty smug on her part. Why is there a black market? Because the guy would get wacked by his own people if it were out in the open DUH! Oh by the way, back in 1984 the Utah arm that I received was 30 grand. I got it in the warehouse district!

KBK, MN (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 4:57 PM)

Iraq. what are we doing there, do american really belong there. oil, no is cheaper to get it in venezuela, now i know why. Bush and that vice president of his, yes that one that dont shoot good. remember him ....yeah that one that shoot his friend at the texas ranch. that is why i allways said GOD BLESS AMERICA. WE NEED IT.

hENRY LOS ANGELES (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 6:06 PM)

don`T WE DO THE SAME THING WHEN WE GET HIT WITH A BAD STORM OR EARTHQUAKE YOU KNOW MAYBE 1500.00 FOR A 200.00 ELECTRIC GENERATOR OR 10.00 DOLLARS FOR A BAG OF ICE!

gonzo lawrenceville ga (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 6:11 PM)

as a non-american I find it funny that you were so eager to go to Iraq in the first place and now you all want to leave when it is a mess. Finish what you started.

Logan Vancouver Canada (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 6:45 PM)

I can't understand, and won't accept a war that is thus far pointless. Does anyone even recall why we went there in the first place? Last I heard, I thought we were looking for "Bin Laden"....How long does it take to find someone, why not do like they did with the Hussein brothers and offer $25 million to anyone that has info. leading to a capture. I guarantee you he'll be in jail (or dead) by tomorrow. Instead of spending billions of dollars on a one sided war, just give 0000.1% of that billion to someone. Everyone has a price! Come on, I bet our troops are sick and tired of roaming the streets and neighborhoods of some foreign country looking for.....EXACTLY MY POINT! Mr. Bush I implore you to bring home our troops! YOU STARTED THIS WAR, AND ONLY YOU HAVE THE POWER TO END IT!

Mel Rodriguez, Miami, Fl. (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 7:17 PM)

As I see we the People are saying We want our Men, Women and Childeren out of Iraq. We didn't fight for our Declaration Of Independence. So we could have a Minority of Big Business People in Washinton do what they Please with the People's Army!

In God We Trust (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 7:27 PM)

It makes me sick that so many of my white, sheltered, middle class peers still think that this war was and is a good idea. Someone blows up two buildings on U.S. soil and we set off to kill as many people as we can who are a similar shade of brown. These same ignorant, covert racists are right about one thing, though... business is booming. That is, if you're talking about the business of fake limbs for innocent victims of misplaced U.S. agression. When can I be proud of my country again? I think I'm going to throw up.

Mike, Sacramento CA (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 7:34 PM)

way past time to get the hell out!!

ang oregon (Sent Tuesday, May 08, 2007 1:37 AM)

American arrogance has caused the death and dismemberment of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens. The WMD claim was a lie. The Iraq-bin Laden link was a lie. DISGUSTING.

Factoid (Sent Tuesday, May 08, 2007 11:26 AM)

Thank you, Carla, for sharing this story. It saddened me in the same way that Ann Curry's story on Iraqi refugees in Syria saddened me - innocent civilians, maimed by violence, in need of prostheses; in Syria, a little boy with cancer, in need of chemotherapy. In all of these instances, people are hindered by circumstance, and their suffering is compounded. I wish there was some way we could help get them the medical treatment they need.

Laurel, Maryland, USA (Sent Wednesday, May 09, 2007 10:56 AM)

I was in the U.A.E. working for an oil company when all the civilian victims of Israel's bombing on Lebanon came pouring in. Lots of them were in need of artificial limbs. Stupid and completely unnecessary. The bombs of course, were made in the united states and given to israel for free.

Misty, R. , Long Beach (Sent Wednesday, May 09, 2007 3:00 PM)

$5000 for a leg is cheap, I just recieved quotes for mine here in the good old usa, 11-12,000 plus the 1200 per yr for consumables like soft sockets. Those of you with 2 arms and 2 legs be thankful, you don't know the problems and the issues faced by those of us that are missing limbs.

Wayne Coutts (Sent Thursday, May 10, 2007 10:34 AM)

See this is the big problem with us.We sit back and complain about how we are unhappy with the direction our country is heading and attack our Commander in Chief all while watching one sided media on our flat sceens all while people over there are fighting and dieing just to get a taste of a free and safe life. Maybe if people stoped btching and actually let the government help them instead of attacking them(gov) they could make some progress.

just a student, ocala (Sent Thursday, May 10, 2007 10:53 AM)

What did Ameraica go to Iraq to fix again? Oh yes Terror. Never mind the renewed anger promulgating more Terrro.

Daisy M. Hazzard, Gnd, West Indies (Sent Thursday, May 10, 2007 1:10 PM)



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